


Quantum Uncertainty

by orphan_account



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-29
Updated: 2012-07-29
Packaged: 2017-11-11 00:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/472467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Eleventh Doctor has forced his way into a parallel universe, finally having grown tired of this one. He is trying to run away and find somewhere new, but the place he has found is more dangerous than he could have ever imagine, with history absolutely turned on its head. There are familiar faces where they should not be, and something is amiss here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was funny how things came full circle. It was as if the shadows had been waiting for the Doctor, waiting for him to slink back in their depths, turning into the mysterious man who appeared out of nowhere once again. “The Doctor” was no more, he was a dead man. But the concept remained – nameless, hidden, silent. And that gave him all the freedom in the world.

The Ponds were safe, all three of them. Sometimes he would see River, but that was growing less and less often these days. The Singing Towers were looming, and every day, he wanted to run further from them. So he did. He ran from them, and from everyone. It was just him and his box now, just as they had started.

He was certain, however, that he had not felt so terribly old when they had begun. His body had been old then, yes. Creaking, white-haired, hunched. But his spirit had been that of a boy’s, albeit a rash and aggressive one. Now, his body was young, but his mind felt as old as that first body. He knew he was not his best when he was alone, but sometimes he needed the alone time anyway. He was more reckless now. There was no one to keep safe, no one to stop him. Part of his mind warned against it, but right now, he liked it that way.

The Doctor was in a part of space he didn’t recognize now, and the TARDIS scanner told him he was far away from everything – far from Earth, far from Stormcage, and far from where Gallifrey had once been. More than anything, this part of space was quiet.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, old girl.” He patted the console, and even the TARDIS was quiet. He could hear her whirring softly, but it was nowhere near the normal clanking and wheezing. It almost felt like they were in church, in a strange sort of way. This was not a part of space he traveled to very often, mostly because it was boring. There weren’t any planets out here, it was too cold and dark. This was the outer limit of the universe, the very edge where it expanded itself from.

The mathematical part of his mind told him that there was nothing beyond that edge. The universe did, in fact have an end, a sort of invisible wall. It was proven in the highest of Gallfreyan math, and nearly all higher civilizations in the universe knew it.

Then again, he was never one for dry and boring math.

“What do you think?” The Doctor murmured to the TARDIS, who simply continued to whirr in response. “Shall we disprove all the math books?” He was willing to do anything for the adrenaline, now. This would be the one thing he hadn’t seen, the part of the universe beyond his “backyard.” He nudged the TARDIS forward, taking it slow at first. She balked at first, and he heard the screech of metal on metal from within her core. But he persisted, guiding her toward the edge at a snail’s pace, ignoring the noises for now. She’d be all right. The cloister bell was silent, there was no imminent danger. Finally, he could sense that they were nearly there.

“This might hurt a bit.” His voice was trembling with anticipation now, and it almost delighted him that no one answered him. No one was telling him not to do this. He could go as far as he liked. It was both terrifying and liberating. After a moment, he tugged one of the levers as hard as he could, giving the TARDIS a massive push forward.

When she crossed the edge, the TARDIS screamed. He could hear the cloister bell through the noise, but it was fragmented, as if the TARDIS could hardly keep steady enough to sound it. Part of him screamed as well, internally. That part of him was terrified, knowing he had done something incredibly wrong. But the prevailing part of him was thrilled, desperate for any sort of new stimulation, any place left in the universe to explore.

The TARDIS warped around him, and he clutched at the console, just trying to keep her level for now. Her screens were scrambled, and he had no idea where he was. He had a faint mind to turn back, but that would be too easy. Finally, the TARDIS shuddered to a stop, floating through a space that was completely unknown to him. He pulled himself up, checking her systems. She was damaged, but not in dire straits. She could repair most of it herself automatically. He wasn’t quite sure how he had crossed the edge, but he had. Perhaps people thought it was impossible because no one had ever tried before. He flipped up the viewscreen and saw stars, different ones that he had ever seen before. They were beautiful and foreign, and for a moment, he felt young again.

Before he could dwell on them, however, the TARDIS jerked violently, throwing him to the ground. A voice boomed into the TARDIS’s interior, and for an insane moment, he thought that she was telling him off for making her go over that edge.

“This is Cynaeliopyrion of Gallifreyan Border Security, and you are hereby in the custody of the Time Lords.” The voice was female and loud enough to make him wince, but he hardly paid attention to the gender and volume of the voice.

“You’re _what_?” The Doctor shouted, hoping the woman on the other end could hear him. He scowled as he saw the red lines of a forcefield outside one of the TARDIS windows.

“Gallifreyan Border Security. It is stated under Section 928 of the K Protocols that all accidental arrivals in this universe are the property of the Time Lords, including those who have journeyed out of this universe and managed to come back. Now, if you will keep your ship still, we need to rid you both of contaminants - “

“There are no K Protocols, what are you talking about?” The Doctor began, and then stopped, remembering where he was. The fully gravity of it hit him, and he stumbled forward into the TARDIS console, struggling to stand up. That was a Time Lord, he was talking to a  _Time Lord_ . They were still alive, wherever he had ended up. He was not sure whether to weep with happiness or run back into his own universe screaming. 

“The crossing made this one a little befuddled, I think. I’ll take care of him.” Cynaeliopyrion was talking to someone in her own ship now, and the Doctor almost protested, but then remembered he was usually befuddled in some way. This was no difference. 

“What are you planning to do with me, hm?” The Doctor finally gathered himself enough to speak, shoving the fact that he was talking to Time Lords into the back of his brain, where he wouldn’t focus on it. A face finally appeared on the viewscreen, and the Doctor saw a woman with wild blonde hair, haphazardly stuffed under one of the Time Lords’ traditional hats. 

“Well, now we’re decontaminating your ship of anything you may have picked up along the way,” Cynaeliopyrion said, and the Doctor heard a few beeping noises as the TARDIS shuddered. “And now, I’ll be transporting you both back to Gallifrey. I trust you are a universe explorer, and you’ll have a report to give to the Lord President when we arrive.” The woman paused, and seemed to be looking around the inside of his TARDIS, which made the Doctor feel a bit violated. “Where is the fleshform interface of your TARDIS, sir? We require a testimony from her as well, just to keep things fair and balanced.” The Doctor floundered a bit.

“Uh…she’s…she’s not here,” he managed, trying to ignore the pain in his hearts from remembering when his TARDIS had spoken to him aloud. If every TARDIS had a humanoid form in this universe, color him insanely jealous. 

“I’ve scanned your ship, sir, and it appears you’ve lost her. No matter, it sometimes happens. We’ll reinstate her when we arrive on Gallifrey,” Cynaeliopyrion sounded bored now, as if she did this every day. Time Lord bureaucracy seemed both heartwarmingly familiar and immensely irritating, but he only thought of that for a moment. They were going to give his TARDIS a body again, with the technology they had. He tried not to hold out hope that it would work, but he couldn’t keep himself from grinning. He was going to be able to speak to her again. 

When they brought her into a flesh form, however, the first thing he noticed was that he had suddenly been slapped, sent reeling back into the console. A woman with a mass of curly dark hair was glaring at him, and he stammered a bit, vaguely wondering why all the women he cared about regularly slapped him. 

“You  _idiot_ !” The woman slapped him again, and even though his face throbbed, he  _grinned_ . “And of course you’re smiling, you always do that when you’ve gotten yourself into trouble. Do you even realize where we are? And who’s president? You’ll find out soon, but oh, you are not going to like it. You weren’t supposed to push me over that edge, either. But do you ever listen? Of course not.” The woman whirled from him and paced around the TARDIS, leaving a rather unhinged Doctor in her wake. She was angry at him, but she was  _here_ . Before he could revel in it, however, the TARDIS door swung upon.

“The Lord President wishes to see you and hear the tales of your exploration.” A Time Lord ensign stepped aside as a man walked through. “Your fleshform interface cannot leave, so he will visit you in here, as is the protocol.”

“All right, all right, sure - “ The Doctor said, and then stopped when he saw who was in the doorway. He was dressed in the Time Lords’ finest, but there was no mistaking those eyes, even though the face was different. He’d kept the beard this time, it seemed. The Doctor couldn’t find words.

“L-Lord President,” the Doctor said, bowing low, and the man before him smiled. There was no recognition in his eyes, though, which frightened him. 

“Stand up, please,” the Lord President said, and the Doctor straightened up, not quite able to look the man in the eye. If there was a Doctor in this universe, one would think that this man, of all people, could recognize him. But the Lord President looked right through him.

“Lord President Koschei, we have data on where he came from. He is not one of your explorers,” another Time Lord rushed back in, and the President turned to him, intrigued.

“I see.” The President’s voice was calm and collected, but there was something wary in his eyes now. He turned on the Doctor, and out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor saw his fingers twitch in a rhythm of four. 

“Where are you from, soldier? Your TARDIS is battered, like she has been at war. My explorers do not go to war, they observe peacefully. But you, sir, you look like a warrior,” Koschei tilted his head, observing the Doctor, who cringed, remembering River’s words at Demon’s Run. 

“I’ve simply lost my way,” the Doctor said, although he could not keep the tremble out of his voice. “I’ll be leaving now, and I won’t trouble you.” He turned to leave, but Koschei stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“You will stay here until I am finished with you.” Koschei’s grip on his shoulder was tight, and his guards straightened up, keeping their eyes on the Doctor. “Now tell me. What is your name?”

The Doctor hesitated. This had to be a different universe, it was all too strange. Perhaps he didn’t exist in this universe, or at least, hadn’t been “killed” by the Silence. He took a deep breath, and spoke, finally meeting Koschei’s eyes. 

“My name is the Doctor.”

After a moment, the Lord President Koschei spoke, a cold sort of mirth in his voice.

“You’re a liar. And that was a dangerous lie to tell.”


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor kept his expression blank as the Lord President stared him down.

“There is no way what you say is the truth,” Koschei mused, and the Doctor gave him a steely gaze, saying nothing. “Do you know who the Doctor is, stranger?”

“I - ” The Doctor stopped, not sure what he should be saying. He didn’t know what the Doctor in this universe was like, and from the way Koschei was acting, it sounded as if the Doctor was someone dangerous, someone to be feared. _Not a far cry from my own universe_ , the Doctor thought wryly.

“Everyone from each end of eternity knows who the Doctor is. Why don’t you?” Suddenly Koschei’s face was far too near the Doctor’s, and he flinched, looking away.

“I’m not _from_ here,” the Doctor finally said, although he still couldn’t look Koschei in the eye. “I told you I lost my way.”

“Sorry, but we can’t let anyone named the Doctor go without questioning. Do you know why they called him that, stranger?” Koschei’s face was scornful now, and the Doctor could see lines of hatred in his face. “They called him the Doctor, because he went around fixing things, saving people. One time, he tried to ‘fix’ the universe, the idiot. He doomed us all.”

The Doctor looked up at him, at that. “What do you mean?”

“If you’re him, you would know,” Koschei said coldly. “And we are keeping you here until you tell us more. According to the records, the Doctor is dead. We took extreme measures to try to restore the universe after the damage he did. I do not know why you would think it wise to claim to be him.”

The Doctor found himself silent for a moment, trying to process this. Before he could answer, however, the human form of his TARDIS peeked out from behind the console.

“He’s the Doctor, Lord President. But a different Doctor than you know. Check my energy signature. I am not from this universe, and nor is he,” the TARDIS said quietly, and the Doctor felt a jolt to his hearts, remembering that she was there, and that she could speak. Koschei looked to her, considering.

“TARDISes are more honest than Time Lords,” he said after a moment. “It would be wise, Doctor, if you did not follow in our Doctor’s footsteps.” His voice was still cold, but the Doctor felt a bit more at ease now. He looked back to give a grateful look to his TARDIS, but she gave him a cool one in return, almost scowling. 

“I could help you, you know,” the Doctor said without thinking, and Koschei looked back at him, wary.

“That’s what he always said. ‘I’m the Doctor, I’m here to help.’ You’re not earning yourself any good credentials here, Doctor.” Koschei’s voice was cold again, but the Doctor walked toward him, curious now.

“What happened to your universe, then? What did the scary old Doctor do?” The Doctor followed Koschei around the TARDIS, and Koschei walked more quickly, sweeping his robes along with him.

“There are holes.” It was the TARDIS who spoke, and she sounded frightened now. “This universe is falling to pieces. So many holes. Space and time are ripped apart.” Koschei nodded, and the Doctor watched him.

“That’s why you have explorers, then. You’re looking for a way out. Somewhere safe.” The Doctor shivered a little, both frightened and enthralled by the idea. Koschei stiffened.

“We are expanding the Gallifreyan empire, Doctor. Wherever that may lead.” Koschei avoided answering directly, and turned to the Doctor. “How would you help? There is nothing that could solve this.”

“I’ve never been one for plans, M - …Lord President. Always figuring things out on the fly, that’s how I live.” The Doctor shrugged, and Koschei looked unimpressed. The Doctor saw his fingers twitch in a rhythm of four, and the sight made his heart ache. He pushed the Master out of his mind, trying not to think of him when he looked at Koschei. Of course, it did not work. The Lord President did not reply.

“Perhaps we shall let you help. But right now, you are a captive of the Gallifreyan empire, and you will obey  _me_.” The tone in Koschei’s voice made the Doctor shudder, and the Lord President smiled.

“I am pleased I can still retain my intimidation after all these years, Doctor.” Koschei chuckled a bit. “But I digress. I have thought of a way to use you. If you are truly from another universe, as you state, you must have gotten in somehow. And that means you will show us the way out.” The Doctor balked, not sure how to answer. That definitely was not supposed to happen. They needed to stay in their universe, and the Doctor’s own universe certainly did not need another Gallifrey, especially one led by someone who could become the Master. 

“This is not a choice, Doctor. You found your way in here, and you shall guide us out. You will redeem that name of yours, perhaps. If you succeed, the Doctor will perhaps become a worthy name again, and not one of the most hated being in the universe,” Koschei said coldly.

“I…” The Doctor paused, and then bit back a refusal. “Yes, Lord President. I will help you out.”

“Good, good. Come with me, and we shall pinpoint where you came into this universe.” Koschei nodded at the Doctor, striding out of the TARDIS. The Doctor had no choice but to follow, and he could not sort out the feelings inside of him. He knew that he could not let this Gallifrey into his universe. But he could not let them die, either. There had to be some other way. 

“I can fix this,” the Doctor murmured, and Koschei narrowed his eyes at him.

“You’d better not. This universe has had more than enough of the Doctor’s meddling.”

“Understood, Lord President,” the Doctor said quietly, but his mind was whirring now. If he could find out more about what had actually happened, perhaps he could reverse it. His conscience chastised him for the thought. _If the whole of Gallfirey couldn’t manage it, what makes you think you could?_

To that, the Doctor only thought of his own Gallifrey, and how he had conquered them all. None of them had stopped that war, but he had. And he would stop this, too. He only hoped it would not have such a terrible cost.


End file.
